The Oklahoma City Thunder got bounced in the Western Conference finals, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games, and Chet Holmgren took a lot of heat. Nobody was there to support Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on offense, and in Game 7, Holmgren only took two shots. But despite the narratives, the Thunder were without Jalen Williams (and Ajay Mitchell). Holmgren needs him back more than SGA does.
Holmgren has to be better on the offensive end. He just has to. But the Thunder also need Williams back. Holmgren needs Williams back. He needs Williams back, so the pressure will be off him. So he can focus on defense. SGA needs the help from Williams, and Holmgren needs the right structure around him.
Williams just needs to be healthy.
Chet Holmgren needs Jalen Williams back next to him
The Thunder failed to get the job done in this year’s playoffs. No amount of injuries or excuses can change that fact. That’s just the way the NBA goes. You can’t make excuses in the playoffs.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs got the best of them, and that was that. The Thunder failed to defend their championship (and then the Spurs lost to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals).
But had the Thunder been healthy, then perhaps they would have had a better chance. They needed Williams and Mitchell so SGA wouldn’t have to do everything on the offensive end himself.
Obviously, in the moment, there was a ton of pressure put on Holmgren. The Thunder needed him to step up into a role that he’s not necessarily used to playing. Because in reality, Holmgren isn’t a primarily offensive player.
He puts up solid scoring numbers, especially in the regular season, but scoring isn’t his go-to thing. He’s not a ‘scorer.’ He’s one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Once Williams is back, that pressure will – in theory – be gone. Holmgren won’t have to be one of the Thunder’s top scoring options anymore. He can go back to doing what he does best: Defending at a high level and occasionally getting his shot off.
That’s the position the Thunder need Holmgren to be in. That’s the position that Holmgren played en route to the Thunder’s first championship in franchise history last year.
So, for as much as SGA needs Williams’ scoring back alongside him, Holmgren needs it, too. Because he needs to be back in the role that works best for him.
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